How to Choose Your ATO for APS-MCC: 5 Mistakes to Avoid
You’ve decided to do an APS-MCC. Good call. Now you need to find the best ATO APS-MCC for your needs. And that’s where many make the wrong choice.
Choosing your ATO matters as much as choosing between MCC and APS-MCC. A poorly delivered APS-MCC means money spent only to arrive “borderline” at selection. Here are the most common mistakes — and how to avoid them.
Mistake #1: Looking only at the price
An APS-MCC at €5,200, another at €8,000. The gap is significant. But the listed price doesn’t tell you much.
What matters is the real hourly cost. A €5,200 course for 60 hours works out at €87/h. A €6,400 course for 125 hours works out at €51/h. The second one costs more upfront, but you get twice as much for your money.
Also check what’s included. E-learning charged extra? Documentation billed separately? Exam fees on top? Some ATOs advertise a low headline price then add lines at the end.
Ask the question clearly: “What’s the all-inclusive price, no surprises?”
Mistake #2: Ignoring the actual training hours
The EASA minimum for APS-MCC is 40 hours of simulator. Many ATOs stop there. Total training: 60 to 80 hours including ground school (sometimes online!).
That’s enough for the certificate. Less so for feeling confident on the day.
What to look at:
- Simulator hours: 40h is the floor. More is better.
- Ground school: how many hours in the classroom? In person or online?
- Briefings and debriefings: are they counted? Structured?
- Additional tools: VPT, e-learning, Airbus documentation, iPads?
The difference between 60 and 125 total training hours is huge. It shows when you come out.
Mistake #3: Not checking instructor profiles
An instructor isn’t just someone who teaches you to fly. It’s someone who prepares you for what recruiters expect.
An active TRI at an airline knows current SOPs, selection trends, and the mistakes that get you eliminated. An instructor retired for 10 years sometimes teaches procedures that no longer exist.
Questions to ask:
- What are the instructor profiles? TRI? SFI? Active or retired?
- Which airlines do they come from and what’s their experience?
- How long have they been teaching?
A good ATO answers without hesitation. A poor ATO stays vague.
Mistake #4: Overlooking the training methodology
You can do 40 hours of simulator and come out with an insufficient level. It all depends on how it’s done.
Airlines train their pilots using the CBTA/EBT approach (Competency-Based Training and Assessment / Evidence-Based Training). It’s competency tracking: your weak points are identified, worked on, and your progress is measured.
Most ATOs still use the old method: a list of exercises to tick off. You do the exercise, it’s validated, move on to the next. Whether you’ve actually mastered it doesn’t matter.
Ask how the training is structured:
- Is there individualised follow-up?
- Are scenarios LOFT-type (Line Oriented Flight Training)?
- Is assessment continuous or just at the end?
If they answer “we follow the EASA programme”, it’s probably minimum compliance (see EASA documentation).
Mistake #5: Forgetting availability and actual duration
Some ATOs only have one or two sessions per year. You sign up in January, you start in September. In between, you lose months.
What to check:
Another trap: courses that drag on. What was planned for 4 weeks becomes 6, even 8. Simulator unavailable, instructor absent, session postponed. Every extra week adds costs: accommodation, transport, living expenses. The budget explodes.
- Session frequency: every week? Every month? Twice a year?
- Guaranteed duration: how long does the course last? Is it contractual?
- Flexibility: can you reschedule if needed?
A serious ATO commits to a duration and sticks to it.
Checklist: how to find the best ATO for APS-MCC
Before signing, check these points:
| Criteria | Question to ask |
|---|---|
| Price | “What’s the all-inclusive rate?” |
| Volume | “How many hours total? Simulator + ground + briefings?” |
| Instructors | “What profiles? Active or retired? What experience?” |
| Method | “CBTA/EBT approach or standard exercise checklist?” |
| Availability | “How often are sessions? Guaranteed duration?” |
| Documentation | “Official Airbus manuals or generic materials?” |
A good ATO answers all of this clearly. If you sense vagueness, that’s a warning sign.
What we offer at Iroise
Our APS-MCC is 125 hours of training: 40 hours on FNPT II-MCC A320 simulator, 60 hours of ground school and briefings in person, e-learning modules, and 14 hours of VPT simulator as a bonus.
Our method follows the CBTA/EBT approach: LOFT scenarios, individualised competency tracking, continuous assessment. You learn to manage situations, not just execute exercises.
Our instructors are TRIs and SFIs from Air France, easyJet, Volotea, Swiss, Transavia — active or recently retired.
Sessions every two weeks in Brest, France. Price: €6,400, eligible for French CPF.